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Euro: protection against counterfeiting, extending Pericles programme to the non-participating Member States

2005/0030(CNS)

PURPOSE : to extend to the non-participating Member States the application of the ‘Pericles’ programme until 31.12.2006.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/76/EC extending to the non-participating Member States the application of Decision 2006/75/EC amending and extending Decision 2001/923/EC establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles’ programme).

CONTENT : the Council adopted this Decision extending Decision 2006/75/EC to non-participating Member States. Pericles has been running since 2002 and was designed to support and supplement the measures undertaken by the member states and in existing programmes to protect the euro against counterfeiting. Such measures include information exchange (seminars, workshops, meetings and conferences), placements and exchanges of staff, as well as technical, scientific and operational back-up. The Decision was extended to non-participating Member States due to the fact that the exchange of information and staff and the assistance and training measures implemented under the Pericles programme should be uniform throughout the Community and the requisite steps should therefore be taken to guarantee the same level of protection for the euro in the Member States where the euro is not their official currency.

It should be noted that Decision 2006/75/EC was adopted on the same day. (Please see CNS/2005/0029). That Decision is aimed at  enhancing the efficiency of the Pericles programme by:

  • increasing the maximum proportion of Community financing to 80% (instead of 70%);
  • providing flexibility in the number of projects that one member state may present, and
  • providing financial support for cooperation in cross-border operations, with the involvement of Europol.

A budget of EUR 1 million is allocated for implementation during 2006.

The Council considers that Pericles has a multi-annual nature and that it should be extended to 2011. To this effect, it invites the Commission to present a proposal for extending the programme for the period starting from 2007 as soon as an agreement on the future financial framework 2007-2013 has been reached.

DATE OF EFFECT: 08/02/2006.